Coalition for Recreational Trails

Recreational Trails Program Achievement Awards

2016 Nomination Form

Project NamE _________________________________________________________________________

AWARD Categories (mark all that apply and please be sure to explain why this project should be recognized in this particular category or, if applicable, in several categories)

[ ] Maintenance and Rehabilitation – maintaining, repairing damage to, or upgrading the quality of a

trail to improve the trail experience, increase user safety, and/or enhance protection of the

environment, including wildlife

[ ] Construction and Design – planning and building a trail, portions of a trail (e.g., a bridge), or trail-related facilities (e.g., a trailhead, shelter, etc.)

[ ] Public-Private Partnerships and Access to/Use of Public Lands – facilitating and/or encouraging cost-effective partnerships between public and private entities, especially to increase access to and use of federal, state and local public lands, including parks, forests and wildlife refuges

[ ] Community Linkage – providing and/or enhancing opportunities for trail-based recreation and transportation within or near local communities

[ ] Education and Communication – utilizing a variety of established and/or technologically innovative communications tools (e.g., web sites, social media and peer-to-peer information sharing) to increase environmental awareness, promote trail-related safety, encourage trail-related outdoor recreation and, overall, enhance trail use and enjoyment

[ ] Multiple-Use Management and Corridor Sharing – facilitating and/or encouraging the use of a trail corridor by more than one type of trail enthusiast, particularly those enthusiasts that do not ordinarily share trails or trail-related facilities

[ ] Accessibility Enhancement – facilitating and/or encouraging increased access to trail-related

recreation opportunities for people with disabilities

[ ] Youth Conservation/Service Corps and Community Outreach – making effective use of the services and skills of qualified youth conservation or service corps and other community organizations as project partners and supporters

NEW CATEGORY:

[ ] Engaging Public-Sector Partners – engaging and garnering the support of public-sector officials including local, state and federal elected officials or agency personnel for RTP-funded projects or the overall continuation/advancement of the RTP.

Project Location

City________________________________________ County __________________________

State _______ Zip Code____________ U.S. Congressional District _____________________

Project Status _________________________________________________________________

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PROJECT RTP FUNDING Year awarded _______________ Amount ________________

(Note: Projects completed before 2008 are ineligible)

Contact information for Project Sponsor

Name _______________________________________________ Telephone ____________________

Organization/Agency ______________________________________ Fax ____________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________________

City __________________________ State ______ Zip Code ________ E-mail _______________

Contact information for Person submitting nomination (if different from project sponsor)

Name _______________________________________________ Telephone ____________________

Organization/Agency ______________________________________ Fax ____________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________________

City __________________________ State ______ Zip Code ________ E-mail _______________

Project Description

Please describe the project and its accomplishments. If you need more space, please try to limit it to no more than two additional pages. Please make every effort to explain how the project fits into each award category(ies) for which you wish the project to be considered. If you do not specifically explain how the project meets the category criteria, it may not be considered for an award in that category. Mention the various types of activities and trail uses supported by the project. Show the project’s other benefits – like for the community or the environment. Examples of benefits include economic impact, youth involvement, accessibility, safety, livable communities, health and fitness, habitat conservation, active transportation, special events like fundraisers, educational opportunities or senior-citizen walks. Show how the project is supported and maintained. Examples include funds, equipment and labor provided by community businesses and organizations and by volunteers. If there is more information available online, please provide a link to the website(s). If available, include information about amounts and sources of matching funding.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

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SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Please provide as complete an application package as possible that illustrates why this project should be recognized. Please include at least three high-resolution photographs (jpg, tif or png format), with captions if possible, as well as pictures, brochures or other promotional materials, if available. Photographs showing people enjoying or working on the project would be especially welcome. And please submit the entire package electronically to Duane Taylor at .

*IMPORTANT* In submitting your nomination, you are granting permission to use the photographs or other supporting materials provided to the Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) as part of the Annual Achievement Award nominations to promote the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). Uses may include, but are not limited to, the following purposes: promoting the RTP projects in the RTP Database, Image Library, and websites; in the RTP Annual Report; in press releases; or for educational purposes, such as, in presentations. Credit will be provided to the photographer when identification of the photographer is provided. You retain all other rights to your photos, and any requests for additional non-commercial uses or for commercial use will be provided to you for approval or not. Please let us know if you do not want your photos used to promote the RTP. Your help in documenting the benefits of the Recreational Trails Program is greatly appreciated.

Reaching Out to u.s Senators and representatives in support of your rtp project

It is important that Members of Congress know about the outstanding RTP-supported projects in their districts/states. Please forward your nomination materials to the Members who represent the district and state where the project is located. Include a short message (sample draft below) about yourself and your organization noting that the nomination materials were prepared for the annual Coalition for Recreational Trails Achievement Awards and asking that the Member provide a letter of support for the nomination.

If you are not sure who the correct U.S. Representative is, please visit the following website to search by zip code:

http://www.house.gov/htbin/findrep?ZIP=

To find your state’s U.S. Senators visit:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

You may need to contact the Member’s office by phone to ask for the appropriate e-mail address to send the materials. Since the RTP is funded through transportation reauthorization legislation, you may ask for the Legislative Assistant that handles transportation issues.

See the next page for a sample message.

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Sample Message:

Dear (Senator/Representative) last name:

Please find attached the nomination materials for an outstanding project that utilized Recreational Trails Program (RTP) funds in your (State/District). These materials have been prepared by (insert title, club or agency affiliation) because (insert project name) has proven to be a huge success and, as a result, we have nominated the project for an annual Coalition for Recreational Trails (CRT) achievement award for outstanding RTP projects. Please join us in supporting this project by sending a letter supporting the nomination to CRT.

(Provide information and background about your specific project)

Thank you for taking a look at the nomination materials. A letter of support for (insert project name) can be sent to: Duane Taylor, Coalition for Recreational Trails, 1235 South Clark Street, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22202.

Sincerely

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APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 4, 2016. Send form and supporting materials via e-mail to: Awards Committee Chair Duane Taylor, Motorcycle Industry Council, at . If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call (703) 416-0444 or e-mail Duane at the above address. Winners should be notified no later than May 6, 2016. Please note: supporting materials will be retained by the Coalition for Recreational Trails and cannot be returned. The awards will be presented on June 8, 2016.